It is well known that certain commercial establishments have baked bread, pizza and related food products in ovens that are frequently called a brick oven, a stone oven or an oven with a similar name.
The prior art ovens typically have a bottom covered with a plurality of stones on which the food products are baked. A top is connected to the bottom and constructed to form a domed chamber over a baking area located on the plurality of stones. A heat source is used to provide a constant heat within the chamber because the baked food product is adversely effected from a lack of constant heat, which may occur when air freely flows to the heat source. A single passageway is provided to extend through the top through which the unbaked food product is passed into the chamber and a baked food product is removed from the chamber. Because the food products are baked, it is desirable that the ovens provide a constant temperature to the food product. To accomplish this desired result, the access into the chamber of this type oven is limited to a single passageway and the heat source being used provides a constant heat. However, the single passageway severely limits access to the oven chamber, which limits the production of baked food product. This-in-turn, prevents these commercial establishments from producing the desired quantity of baked food product. Thus, a consumer must pay high prices for this type food product or consume a food product that is baked different.
Further, these prior art ovens may include a heat source to burn a solid fuel, which provides a flavor to the food product being baked. This flavor enhancing heat source, however, is supplied with the solid fuel before heating the chamber and set afire. Because the ovens have only a single passageway, the flavor enhancement only occurs while the solid fuel is being burned. After the fire has died, then the flavor enhancement changes. Thus, the flavor does not occur uniformly for the baking of all the food products.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,033 is an oven that has first and second passageways extending thorough the top. These passageways are used to increase the production of the oven. Although this oven operates very well, sometimes the bottom of the food product is not completely cooked. This occurs when the covering stone in the baking area becomes cool from the passage of air and food through the passageways. When the covering stone becomes cool, the resultant baked food product does not always have the appearance and texture desired.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a supplemental heat source to heat the stone covering the bottom of the oven.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide an oven with a stone covered bottom with multiple passageways allowing access into the oven chamber to increase its production and uses a supplemental heat source to heat the stone covering the bottom when needed.